Method and apparatus of enhanced paging

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for paging enhancement for the UE in the LC-MTC mode. In one novel aspect, the UE determines if the UE is in CE mode, obtains a set of narrow-band resource blocks reserved for LC-MTC paging messages and decodes a paging message based on the obtained narrow-band resource blocks. In one embodiment, the paging message occupies a predefined narrow band resource blocks without control information. In another embodiment, MPDCCH is used as control message to schedule narrow-band paging messages. In one embodiment, the MPDCCH searching space comprises a paging narrow-band selected from the set of narrow bands based on a UE ID. In another novel aspect, methods for PO detection are provided. The UE obtains a set of common paging narrow-bands from a higher layer configuration, determines a paging occasion to monitor paging message, decodes paging messages within the obtained common paging narrow-band, and performs combination.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method in a communication system comprising:
 determining whether a user equipment (UE) is in a low cost (LC) machine type communication (MTC) mode, wherein the UE is in LC MTC mode upon detecting one or more conditions comprising: the UE is an LC MTC device, and the UE is a normal UE in a coverage extension (CE) mode; 
 obtaining a set of narrow-band resource blocks reserved for paging messages; and 
 decoding a paging message based on at least one of the obtained set of narrow-band resource blocks and downlink control information, wherein the downlink control information is based on the obtained set of narrow-band resource blocks. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of narrow-bands are obtained from a higher layer message. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 obtaining an MTC physical down link control channel (MPDCCH) search space based on the set of narrow-bands; and 
 decoding the paging message after obtaining scheduling information within the MPCCH searching space. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the MPDCCH searching space comprises a paging narrow-band, and the paging narrow-band is selected from the set of narrow bands based on a UE ID. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the UE ID is a function of IMSI, S-TMSI, UE specific P-RNTI or multicast P-RNTI shared by a group of UEs. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the group of UEs share the same coverage extension (CE) level. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the higher layer message comprises one or more narrow-band resource blocks index for the paging message. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein before decoding a second paging message, further checking if frequency hopping is enabled by the UE. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein when the frequency hopping is enabled, obtaining another narrow-band under a hopping pattern. 
     
     
       10. A method in a mobile communication system comprising:
 obtaining, by a user equipment (UE), a set of common paging narrow-bands from a higher layer configuration; 
 determining a paging occasion to monitor one or more paging messages, wherein the paging occasion is a starting point for paging messages indicated in a higher layer message; and 
 decoding the one or more paging messages within an obtained common paging narrow-band and performing combination of decoded subframes of the one or more paging messages. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: determining whether a frequency hopping is enabled. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising checking whether a number of virtual paging occasion (PO) is indicated in downlink control information (DCI). 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein if the number of virtual POs is indicated, obtaining the narrow-bands for the number of the virtual POs, and decoding a second paging message at one of the number of the virtual POs. 
     
     
       14. A user equipment (UE), comprising:
 a transceiver that transmits and receives radio signals in a wireless network; 
 a memory; and 
 a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to detect whether the UE is in a low cost (LCU) machine type communication (MTC) mode, wherein the UE is in LC MTC mode upon detecting one or more conditions comprising: the UE is an LC MTC device, and the UE is a normal UE in a coverage extension (CE) mode; 
 obtain a set of narrow-band resource blocks reserved for LC-MTC paging messages; and 
 decode a paging message based on at least one of the reserved set of narrow-band resource blocks and downlink control information, wherein the down link control information is based on the reserved set of narrow-band resource blocks. 
 
     
     
       15. The UE of  claim 14 , wherein the set of narrow-bands are obtained from a higher layer message, wherein the higher layer comprises a narrow-band index. 
     
     
       16. The UE of  claim 15 , wherein the higher layer message, comprises the narrow-band index. 
     
     
       17. The UE of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to obtain an MTC physical down link control channel (MPDCCH) search space based on the set of narrow-bands and decode the paging message after obtaining scheduling information within the MPCCH searching space. 
     
     
       18. The UE of  claim 17 , wherein the MPDCCH searching space comprises a paging narrow-band, and the paging narrow-band is selected from the set of narrow bands based on a UE ID. 
     
     
       19. The UE of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a paging occasion (PO) to monitor paging message and checks whether a number of virtual PO is indicated in the down link information.